Anaerobic Digestion and Electromethanogenesis

Our energy requirements are increasing day by day, earlier this requirement was just fulfilled by carbon-containing fossil sources but these fossil resources are now being rapidly consumed due to the needs. Due to the rapid consumption, various issues have been recorded. One of the major issues is the pollution of the earth’s atmosphere which is the major cause of Global warming and related climate changes taking place. Excessive use of these fossil resources is also leading to its depletion and shortage in long terms of energy source. It is an alternative for producing energy. Anaerobic digestion is a natural process that takes place with the help of microorganisms. These microorganisms break down the complex organic materials into a smaller and more soluble form. Bio-methane is a promising gaseous fuel as it is both renewable and eco-friendly. The production of bio-methane takes place in an oxygen-deficient condition. The anaerobic digester is a widely-known traditional process used for conversion of organic waste into extremely useful methane containing biogas with the help of methanogens. Lately, the application of electromethanogenesis which has the application of microbial electrolysis cell (MECs) technology has gained immense popularity over the traditional anaerobic digestion methods. The extensive use of MECs has created great opportunities for treating wastewater and for increasing methane biogas production. Acknowledging the fact that bacteria present at both anode as well as cathode can produce methane has led to the optimization of various factors like substrate, electrode surface, microbial species etc.